Chapter Eighteen- Truth Time, Part 1
"I'm so excited Boing!"
"Yeah?"
"Duh! My first nightclub! How's my outfit?! Are you sure it's ok?..."
Josh took his eyes off the road and studied her for a moment. She was wearing a knee-length blue dress with black stockings and long black boots. Her blonde tresses were overflowing around her shoulders. She had on some makeup. The color of her dress matched her large blue eyes which were brimming with excitement. She was the cutest thing he had ever seen. He gave her a small smile before turning his attention back to his driving.
"Like I told you before, you look great, Maya. I might have to fight off some guys tonight at the club...we'll see..."
"Wait, why?" She asked him in a shocked tone.
Josh grinned. "Because they might try to come on to you," He simply told her.
"Oh," Maya murmured. "That's ok," She said teasingly. "No need to fight 'em. I'll just pick the hottest one and we'll dance all night. Problem solved!"
Josh chuckled. "I might kill 'em first before the end of your first dance. So just be aware of that before you ditch me for another guy. These muscles ain't here for nothing," He gestured at his body.
Maya giggled in amusement. "I still haven't seen these muscles you keep bragging about Boing. So, I'm not really sure if they even exist," She teased him.
"Ok, first of, I don't brag about my muscles. A real man doesn't need to brag about their muscles, Ms. Hunter. The muscles just speak for themselves. Remember that. Real important life lessons you learning tonight, kiddo."
Maya grinned. "Like I said, I still haven't seen these muscles."
"What d'you mean? They are like right here," Josh pointed to himself. "You see me, you see 'em. Duh."
"No, that's not how this works Boing and you know it," Maya retorted with a mischievous grin. "When I see you, I see clothes. I don't see no muscles, Bro. You got 'em covered up all the time. I dunno who you show 'em to- but it ain't me. Maybe Andrew...there's a simple solution to this Boing...you could try taking off your clothes once in a while if you want me to see these muscles-"
"Holy crap! This convo just turned rated R. I want my Mommy!" Josh yelled out in a panicked tone.
Maya burst out laughing at his reaction.
"Your Mommy aint here, Boing," She teased him. "You left her at home cos you're trying to be a bad boy and sneak out. No good," She shook her head at him.
Josh grinned amusedly at her comment.
"But seriously Boing, if you want me to see something, then you gotta show me something."
Josh chuckled. "Patience, Maya," He simply stated.
"You know I'm just talking about maybe seeing your chest and not your entire body right?" Maya clarified.
Josh blushed deep red before he let out a nervous chuckle. "I hope not," He remarked after his laughter ceased. "Cos, that's not happening anytime soon, girl."
Maya giggled. "How about in a year? I think we'll be ready dontcha think? I'll be sixteen! Sweet sixteen!"
Josh started coughing loudly. Maya burst out laughing at his reaction.
"I'm just kidding!" She exclaimed. "Just messing with you Boing! You ok? Don't die on me now. I need you to get me into this club."
Josh cleared his throat loudly before he grabbed a bottle of water next to him in the car and started sipping it slowly.
"You ok?" Maya asked him again in a slightly worried tone.
"Yeah, I'm good," He muttered as he drank some more water. "You're gonna kill me someday Hunter. I swear," He murmured. "Gonna give me a freaking heart attack."
Maya giggled at his comment. "I'll never do that to you Joshua Matthews. I love you way too much," She told him with a sweet smile. Josh felt his heart warming up as he glanced at her for a few seconds before refocusing on the road. He had to make a turn at the next exit.
"So, you're not gonna ditch me for the hottest guy you find?" He asked her.
Maya grinned. "Never. It's you and me Boing! My ride or die!" She responded enthusiastically.
Josh gave her a warm smile. "Ok good," He responded. "We're almost there, by the way. Just ten minutes away."
"Ooh, ok! Can't wait!" Maya retorted excitedly. "I'm ready to dance! I hope you don't embarrass me Boing. I'm a bit worried to be honest."
Josh chuckled. "Don't worry, Ferret. You've only seen me dancing at family gatherings...I won't embarrass you. Trust me."
Maya grinned. "Ok then."
"Maya?"
"Yeah?"
"Truth time."
"Huh?"
"I want us to start doing this thing called 'truth time,'" Josh explained. "It's a moment where we will both be completely honest with each other about how we feel and what's going on in our heads...the things that we've been hiding...we can tell each other everything...and trust each other...you know what I mean?"
Maya looked uncomfortable as she listened to him. "Are you trying to get me to talk about why I was crying earlier? Is that why you're bringing this up?" She asked him in a wary tone.
"Not necessarily," Josh shook his head. "If you don't want to share something at 'truth time' you don't have to. It's completely voluntary."
"Oh ok," Maya sighed in relief. "Good to know."
"Cool. So, I'll get started. I have a few things on my mind I wanna share with you," Josh stated. "Um...first thing...I know you said you were kidding earlier about your sweet sixteen comment, and I know we haven't really discussed this since we started dating so I guess now might be a good time."
"What are you talking about, Josh?" Maya asked him.
"Sex," He responded bluntly.
"Oh dear. Do we really have to talk about that now? We're almost at the club."
"Not really," Josh retorted. "But I just wanna make sure we're on the same page, Maya, so there's no confusion...and no expectations."
Maya giggled nervously. "I don't expect us to do that when I'm sixteen, Josh. I really was just kidding about that. I wanted to see your reaction when I said it, and it was pretty awesome. I shoulda filmed it and posted it on Youtube for my next 'Maya's Kitchen' vlog."
Josh shook his head at her in amusement. "Well I'm glad you didn't do that," He replied. "And I know you were kidding Maya. I just wanna make sure you're ok with me wanting to take our time when it comes to that. Because you know, it's a really big deal..."
"I know Josh. Learned all of that from Health class...and from a very awkward talk with my Mom...so uh yeah...I know," Maya responded.
"Ok, cool..." Josh's voice trailed off as he felt himself becoming increasingly nervous with their current topic of conversation.
"To be honest with you, I'm not ready for that," Maya admitted. "I definitely won't be by next year...so...you don't have to worry Boing. I'm not gonna joke about that again."
"It's ok, Maya," Josh responded. "I'm glad we're talking about it seriously. It's important."
"I know."
"You wanna know who gave me the talk? Well, apart from my parents..." Josh asked her.
"Who?"
"Cory."
"Really?!"
"Yeah, when I was sixteen and I had just really screwed up..." Josh's voice trailed off. "The details aren't important now, but yeah, Cory gave me a whole big talk. It was actually pretty good. I've never forgotten it."
"Oh wow. Cool," Maya retorted. "Just curious. What did he say? Just give me a summary, I guess. Did he like completely freak out?"
Josh grinned. "No, actually. He was pretty calm. Everything he said was the usual, though. But I guess, I just needed to hear it again, at the time. And I was also ready at that time to really listen. You know? But he pretty much said that it's a big deal. Don't rush into it. Use protection...but it's better to wait for the right person and until I'm mature enough to face the consequences...etc."
"Oh ok," Maya commented.
"Now this stays between you and me. Don't tell anybody this. Not even Riles...I'm not sure if she knows but don't tell her anything...ya promise?"
"Sure," Maya nodded.
"Ok," Josh replied. "So, um...Cor and Topanga...they waited until they got married...to do you know what...for the first time..."
"Really?" Maya asked surprised.
"Yeah," Josh nodded. "I was surprised too when he told me."
"I mean, it makes sense I guess...them waiting like that...they're like the perfect couple," Maya replied. "But obviously, I've never really wondered about them like that..."
Josh laughed. "I would hope not. Me neither. Cory just told me."
"Interesting..." Maya retorted as she thought quietly for a moment about what she had just heard. "Wait a minute...are you...are you thinking of doing the same thing?" She asked her boyfriend curiously.
Josh gazed at her quietly for a moment with a thoughtful look on his face. "I dunno..." His voice trailed off. "It will depend on if I find the right girl that I wanna marry someday, obviously...and then I'll see how I feel, I guess..."
Maya gazed at him in shock. "What are you talking about Joshua Matthews?" She asked him in a heated tone.
Josh grinned. "I'm just saying I'll need to find the right girl before I can even answer that question...you know what I mean...?"
Maya's heart pounded. "You're messing with me, right?" She hissed.
"No," Josh replied in a serious tone. "We're still young Maya. I mean...who knows what could happen? I don't know if we're gonna get married someday...anything could happen...we could break up..."
Maya felt her heart stop when she heard that. She felt the familiar burn of tears gathering in her eyes. She had to look away from him in order to compose herself. She wanted to go home.
"Maya?...you ok?" Josh asked her softly.
"Take me back, Josh...I don't feel like dancing anymore..." She muttered softly as she stared down at her lap and struggled to hold back her tears.
Josh burst out laughing. "Of course, I'm messing with you Maya! I'm kidding. It's a joke! We're even now! You prank me, I prank you. Ok?"
Maya gazed at him solemnly for a moment before she spoke. "Are you sure Josh?" She asked him. "Because you're right...who knows what's gonna happen someday...right?"
Josh sighed as he listened to her. His prank had backfired. He hadn't expected her to start questioning the longevity of their relationship. After all, she was always the one who had been so confident - from the very beginning - about them and their possible future...someday. "I'm in it for the long game," He remembered her telling him- more than a year ago during family game night at Cory and Topanga's- when she had only been thirteen or fourteen. She had even referred to him as her "husband."
They had reached their destination. Josh parked Thelma in an empty parking spot in-front of the club before turning his attention to his girlfriend. "Truth time," He murmured before he grabbed her hand gently. "I dunno what's gonna happen in the future, Maya. I thought my dad would be here forever...you never really think that one day, the people you love will just not be there..." His voice trailed off as he fought back his tears. "But I do know this...that no matter what happens between us...I'll always want you in my life...and I'll always want to be by your side...ok? I've told you this many times before, Maya, and I still feel the same way..."
Maya beamed at him. "I feel the same way about you too, Joshua Matthews," She told him. "And just so you know, I'm gonna prank you back even harder after the heart attack you almost gave me right now. That was so mean."
Josh laughed. "Well, you asking me straight up if I was gonna do you know what with you when you turn sixteen was pretty messed up too, Maya. I almost pissed myself."
Maya laughed. "I thought you were gonna choke, the way you started coughing...I was about to call 911."
Josh chuckled. "Well, we're here," He pointed to the club. "You ready?"
Maya stared out her window in excitement. There was a long line of customers waiting to enter the club.
"Hell yeah, I'm ready!" She exclaimed.
"One more truth time before we go..." Josh stated.
"What is it?" Maya asked him.
"Um...I'm kinda nervous Maya- about this whole thing..."
"Huh? What whole thing...? Wait a minute...is this another prank, Josh?"
Josh chuckled. "No, it's not...I guess I'm rethinking things...now that we're here. This was kind of a stupid decision on my part, Maya, and it's becoming more clear to me now. If we get caught...if Shawn finds out we did this...I'm screwed. Before he grounded me, he told me he was giving me one last chance and If I messed up again, he might break us up...so, maybe I shouldn't have brought you here tonight...God, I'm such an idiot sometimes...Sorry, I'm kinda having a mini-freakout moment right now..."
"Josh, it's ok," Maya tried to assure him. "He's not gonna find out...he sleeps very deeply. Trust me. I think we'll be fine as long as we get back home like not too late, you know?"
Josh was quiet for a moment as he contemplated her statement. "I hope so..." He murmured as he brushed his hand through his hair in frustration. "I just have a bad feeling about this all of a sudden..." He sighed.
"It's gonna be fine, Boing! Please don't chicken out on me. We're already here!" Maya exclaimed.
Josh grinned. "Ok...you're right. We are already here..."
"I am curious though...truth time," Maya stated.
"What are you curious about?" Josh asked her.
"What made you do this tonight Josh? I mean, I've been begging you to take me to something like this for a while now. And you always said no cos we gotta follow the rules yadde yadda yadda...so why tonight? I don't get it..."
Josh shrugged. "I dunno. I was feeling real stupid I guess."
"Nah, that's not it," Maya retorted. "There's gotta be a reason why you did it Boing. You don't just do stuff. I do stuff without really thinking about it. But that's not you. You always think about everything you do...you plan it out...So, why tonight? Why now? I'm just curious to know more about Boing's wild side..."
Josh chuckled. "You wanna know how my wild side works..."
"Exactly," Maya responded with an amused grin.
Josh sighed. "I dunno...I guess...I just wanted to get out of the house...do something that would distract me I suppose..."
"Distract you from what?...oh wait...I'm stupid...I can't believe I didn't see this earlier...you wanted to stop thinking about your Dad..." Maya murmured as the realization dawned on her.
Josh nodded. "Yeah..." He muttered as he turned away from her and stared blankly at his phone. "This is the first time I've come home from school and...he's not here..." He couldn't stop the tears that quickly filled his eyes.
Maya wiped a tear from her eye as she reached over and grabbed his hand tightly.
"Truth time?" She murmured.
Josh glanced over at her.
"I'm gonna be by your side this whole weekend Josh," She assured him. "You don't have to hide anything from me. I love you. Ok?"
Josh nodded as he wiped away his tears. "Ok...thanks Maya," He whispered before giving her a soft smile.
Maya felt her heart warming up as she returned his smile. "But just cos I'm feeling bad for you right now doesn't mean I'm not gonna kick your ass at the dance club. Good luck, Boing. You're gonna need it."
Josh burst out laughing. "Alright, Ferret. We'll see. I just might surprise you."
"Puh-leeze. Let's get going Boing. You got some exercising to do, Old Man," She teased him before dragging him out of the car.